Broncos streaking . . . Pats end four-game skid, but lose veteran . . . Warriors romp past Ice

See earlier today in the #cityofpg. #HYPG #United pic.twitter.com/C9dP0chzZe

— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) March 6, 2017

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“The Prince George Cougars’ $5,950 donation to the BC Liberals was the biggest in the party’s unaudited report for Feb. 17-22,” writes Bob Mackin of theBreaker.news. “The Cougars donated almost exactly a year after Prince George-Valemount Liberal MLA (and notable Cougars’ fan) Shirley Bond signed a cabinet order excusing B.C.’s six Western Hockey League team owners from paying the scholarship-eligible players $10.85-an-hour.” . . . Mackin has more, including a look at how the WHL worked to get that exclusion, and it’s all right here.  

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The Brandon Wheat Kings, celebrating their 50th anniversary season, added five more players to their Dream Team on Sunday. . . . They announced that the third line comprises Marty Murray (1991-95), Eric Fehr (2000-05) and Ray Ferraro (1983-84), while the first defence pairing revealed features Keith Aulie (2005-09) and Kevin Cheveldayoff (1986-90). . . . Earlier, the Wheat Kings announced a fourth line of Matt Calvert, Mark Stone and Jordin Tootoo. . . . When completed, the team will comprise two goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards.

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The BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, the defending national junior A champions, aren’t going anywhere. They announced Friday night that ownership has been restructured, something that means they won’t be moving to North Delta, B.C. . . . The Warriors, playing at home, lost the opening two games of their first-round playoff series to the Merritt Centennials, 6-5 on Friday night and 5-4 in triple OT on Saturday night. The series resumes Monday in Merritt.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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No wonder it's so quiet in here. Thank you NBA & Knicks. No bells & whistles, just basketball. pic.twitter.com/oLJZXRG04r

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) March 5, 2017

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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, the Swift Current Broncos erased a 2-1 deficit with three straight goals, then hung on for a

GLENN GAWDIN

4-3 victor over the Oil Kings. . . . F Davis Murray (3) gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 1:47 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it at 10:17 on F Glenn Gawdin’s 24th goal. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky put Edmonton in front with his 22nd goal, at 12:11. . . . The visitors pulled even again as F Kaden Elder (14) scored at 6:37 of the second period. . . . F Conner Chaulk’s seventh goal gave the Broncos their first lead, at 11:28. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi scored No 26, on a PP, at 4:20 of the third period to give Swift Current a 4-2 lead. . . . The Oil Kings cut that to one when F Graham Millar (11) scored at 12:15. . . . Gawdin also had an assist, as did Fix-Wolansky. . . . G Jordan Papirny turned aside 34 shots to earn the victory over Josh Dechaine, who made 25 saves. . . . Swift Current was 1-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-2. . . . The Broncos (34-20-10) have won four in a row. They will finish third in the East Division. . . . The Oil Kings (20-40-5) have lost eight straight (0-7-1). Edmonton, in its 10th WHL season, has lost 40 games for the second time. The other was in 2009-10) when it dropped 43. . . . Announced attendance: 11,041.

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At Brandon, F Sam Steel snapped a 2-2 tie at 2:24 of the second period and the Regina Pats went on to a 4-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Pats, who were playing their third game in fewer than 48

SAM STEEL

hours, had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). . . . After losing 6-3 to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night, Pats GM/head coach John Paddock told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post: “If I wasn’t concerned I probably wouldn’t be doing my job. I’m not making any excuses. It’s just fact. We badly need rest. Every team has gone through it — a heavy schedule. We hit ours at the end of the year.” . . . The Pats are off now until Wednesday when they visit Swift Current. . . . On Sunday, F Adam Brooks got the Pats started with his 36th goal, shorthanded, at 15:12 of the first period. . . . That was Regina’s WHL-leading 20th shorthanded goal this season. . . . Brandon tied it when F Stelio Mattheos got No. 25, on a PP, at 1:07 of the second period. . . . D Connor Hobbs (28) put the Pats back out front, on a PP, at 15:06. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it again, this time on F Tyler Coulter’s 30th goal, at 16:29. . . . Steel, who leads the WHL with 119 points, including 46 goals, broke the tie and F Wyatt Sloboshan (9) added insurance with an empty-netter at 18:55. . . . Brooks, Hobbs and Steel each had an assist, as did Mattheos. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 36 saves. . . . Brandon got 53 saves from G Logan Thompson, who wasn’t beaten by F Austin Wagner on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . The Pats (45-12-8) lead the overall standings by five points over Medicine Hat. . . . Brandon (29-17-10) is likely to finish in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,851. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that Pats F Duncan Pierce will miss up to six weeks with a hairline fracture in his right fibula. He was injured on Saturday night. . . . On Sunday, the Pats lost F Dawson Leedahl in the second period after he absorbed a check from Brandon D Dmitry Osipov.

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It's Morty bobble head day at the @MJWARRIORS game! All proceeds to KidSport Moose Jaw. #citymj pic.twitter.com/gLrHEZTYnD

— Katie Brickman (@katiebrickman) March 5, 2017

At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs scored a goal and added three assists as the Warriors dumped the Kootenay Ice, 11-2. . . . The Ice was playing its third game in Saskatchewan in fewer than 48 hours. It

JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS

was outscored 23-2 in those games, having also lost 8-0 in Prince Albert and 4-0 in Saskatoon. . . . Moose Jaw led 3-1 and 7-1 at the period breaks. . . . The Warriors stretched that 3-1 lead to 5-1 with two goals in 44 seconds early in the second period. . . . Halbgewachs has 46 goals, two off the WHL lead that is held by F Tyler Wong of Lethbridge. . . . F Thomas Foster helped Moose Jaw his 21st goal and two assists. . . . F Noah Gregor scored twice for the Warriors, giving him 24, with singles from F Brayden Burke (18), F Branden Klatt (7), F Luka Burzan (14), D Dmitri Zaitsev (1), F Tanner Jeannot (19), F Justin Almeida (10) and F Brecon Wood (1). . . . Zaitsev, a Russian freshman, scored his first WHL goal in his 64th game. He also has 17 assists. . . . Wood, a 16-year-old freshman from Edmonton, has a goal and one assist in 55 games. . . . D Colin Paradis, D Josh Thrower and F Brett Howden each had three assists. Almeida and Burke had one each. . . . The Ice got goals from F Noah Philp (8) and F Barrett Sheen (8). . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 33 shots. . . . Kootenay starter Jakob Walter allowed five goals on 16 shots in 22:57. Payton Lee finished up, stopping 23 of 29 shots in 37:03. . . . The Ice was 1-2 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-1. . . . Moose Jaw (41-17-8) has won nine in a row. . . . Kootenay (14-41-19) has lost three straight. . . . Announced attendance: 3,476.

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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash, 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Will Brent say 'uncle' in Everett? . . . Blazers stop streaking Rockets . . . Sawchenko sparks Warriors

The fella at the next table was nice enough to help me hold the flag after the Cubs won!!! Go Cubs and fly the W!!#GoCubsGo #FlytheW #Game7 pic.twitter.com/QJVaPgOTDH

— Bob Newhart (@BobNewhart) November 2, 2016

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F Brett Bulmer (Kelowna, 2008-12) has signed a one-year contract with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga). Last season, he was pointless in three games with the Minnesota Wild (NHL), and had three goals and eight assists in 58 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL). . . . As a result of Ilves’ decision to sign Bulmer, it has released F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10). Wahl had a goal and three assists in 16 games with Ilves. . . .

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has been released by the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). He had four goals and three assists in 14 games.

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RILEY SUTTER

Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels is an intense competitor. Hey, when’s the last time you saw him smile during a game? But if you’re in Everett tonight you just might see at least a bit of smile. That’s because his Rebels are up against the Silvertips, whose roster includes F Riley Sutter, who is a nephew. Ron Sutter, one of the twins, is Riley’s father. . . . “I think it’s definitely going to be exciting for sure since I didn’t get the chance to play last (season) against him,” Riley told Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald.“It’s going to be something to think about. You always want to beat your family.” . . . So what's his uncle like? "I don't think he's too much different than (his brothers)," Riley told Geleynse. "They're all pretty similar. All the coaches (who) are Sutters are pretty hard at the rink, but away (from it) they're nice guys." . . . Geleynse’s story is right here.

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Hockey Canada’s national junior team selection camp will run from Dec. 11-14 at Blainville, Que., the home of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . The camp will include three exhibition games — Dec. 12 and 13 against a team comprising Canadian university players and Dec. 14 against Czech Republic. . . . Team Canada will be preparing for the 2017 World Junior Championship that is to run Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Toronto and Montreal. . . . The 22-player Canadian roster is expected to be named on Dec. 15, although it doesn’t have to be finalized until Dec. 25. . . . In advance of the tournament, Canada will play exhibition games against Finland (Montreal, Dec. 19), Czech Republic (Ottawa, Dec. 21) and Switzerland (Toronto, Dec. 23). . . . Canada opens the WJC in Toronto on Dec. 26 against Russia (8 p.m. ET) and plays Team USA on Dec. 31 in Toronto (3:30 p.m. ET).

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Bob Mackin of Business in Vancouver has weighed in with a piece on the proposed class-action lawsuit that the CHL, WHL, OHL and their teams are fighting. . . . Mackin’s piece is right here. . . . Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News examines the proposed lawsuit from the Medicine Hat Tigers’ perspective in a story that is right here.

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The Kamloops Blazers dropped G Carter Phair, who turns 18 on Dec. 15, from their roster on Tuesday. He is expected to return to the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. The Blazers acquired Phair from the Edmonton Oil Kings, giving up a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft, hoping he would provide them with some depth at the position. However, he was struck in the head with a puck during a practice in Alberta and suffered a concussion. He got into only one game with the Blazers, going 4.68, .842. . . . Phair, a native of Carnduff, Sask., played 19 games with the Red Wings last season, going 8-4-3, 2.47, .925. . . . The Blazers are down to 24 players, including two goaltenders — Connor Ingram and Dylan Ferguson — and nine defencemen.

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Patrick Conway, who keeps tabs on goings-on in the KHL, has checked in with his weekly team-by-team roundup. You have to read it to believe what has been happening with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, which is on its third head coach of this season — in fact, it went through three head coaches in the month of October alone. . . . Conway’s latest report is right here.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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November 1, 1959 - Jacques Plante of Montreal Canadiens becomes the first goalie to wear protective face mask during an @NHL game. pic.twitter.com/Ua3WT95nCQ

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) November 1, 2016

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Chippy & sloppy game with lots of special teams... Not an easy watch in Kelowna tonight.

— Andy Levangie (@AndyLevang) November 2, 2016

At Kelowna, F Deven Sideroff scored twice and added an assist to help the Kamloops Blazers to a 5-1

COLLIN SHIRLEY

victory over the Rockets. . . . The Blazers now are 9-8-0. . . . The Rockets, also 9-8-0, had a six-game winning streak come to an end. . . . The Blazers got the game’s first two goals, from F Nick Chyzowski, his seventh, at 2:53 of the first period, and Sideroff, on a PP, at 13:07. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored his third goal at 18:37, on a PP. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers, a Latvian freshman, got his seventh goal for Kamloops at 1:45 of the second period. Blazers also had an assist. . . . Sideroff’s ninth goal, on a PP at 11:17 of the third period, added more insurance and F Matt Revel scored his sixth goal at 16:05. . . . F Collin Shirley drew three assists for Kamloops. A 37-goal scorer last season, he’s got six goals and 12 assists in 17 games this time around. . . . Kamloops also got two assists from F Garrett Pilon. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 20 shots, 14 fewer than Michael Herringer of Kelowna. . . . The Blazers were 2-7 on the PP; the Rockets were 1-7. . . . The Rockets lost F Leif Mattson with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 16:39 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 4,369.

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ZACH SAWCHENKO

At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 41 shots as the Warriors got past the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. . . . Sawchenko was especially solid in the third period when the Raiders failed to score despite holding a 22-8 edge in shots. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs scored twice for the Warriors, giving them a 1-0 lead at 2:21 of the second period and putting them in front 2-1 at 4:22 of the third. He’s got 11 goals in 15 games, after putting in a career-high 15 in 69 games last season. . . . F Luke Coleman scored the Raiders’ goal, his fourth, at 6:06 of the second period. . . . F Tanner Jeannot got the empty-netter for Moose Jaw at 19:58 of the third. He’s got four goals. . . . G Nick Sanders stopped 26 shots for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albrert was 0-4 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-5. . . . The Warriors (9-3-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (4-10-1) have lost three straight. . . . Announced attendance: 3,099.

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Had to dig a little bit to find a relevant fact for tonight. This will mark 1st time TBirds have played a team from Saskatchewan on Nov 1st.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) November 1, 2016

At Saskatoon, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored three times in the second period and went on to a 4-3

SCOTT EANSOR

victory over the Blades. . . . The Thunderbirds (5-6-1) are 2-1-0 on their six-game East Division trip. . . . The Blades slipped to 7-8-1. . . . The Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals, all of them via the PP. At that point, Seattle had scored six times on nine PP opportunities over two games. . . . D Jarret Tyszka’s first goal got the visitors started, at 2:51 of the first period. F Alexander True made it 2-0 with his fifth goal 56 seconds into the second period. F Donovan Neuls’ third goal upped the lead to 3-0 at 1:51. . . . F Michael Farren’s first goal got the Blades on the board at 6:04, but Seattle F Scott Eansor scored shorthanded at 9:32. He’s got two goals. . . . Saskatoon made it interesting as F Josh Paterson got his fifth goal at 1:39 of the third period and F Mason McCarty made it 4-3 with his 10th goal at 18:44. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Nolan Volcan, with Eansor adding one to his goal. . . . Paterson also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth, who is from Saskatoon, stopped 21 shots. . . . The Blades started Logan Flodell, who had been acquired from Seattle earlier this season. He was gone after allowing three goals on 19 shots in 22:05. Reliever Brock Hamm stopped 13 of 14 shots in 36:51. . . . Seattle was 3-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-4. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who is eligible to play for the Thunderbirds, again was scratched by the New York Islanders last night. They lost 6-1 to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . Announced attendance: 2,812.

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Congrats to @_SoySauce_ who recorded his 💯 career WHL goal & 💯 assist tonight! pic.twitter.com/RpdcAM6tGl

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) November 2, 2016

At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford broke a 4-4 tie at 17:39 of the third period and the Royals went on to beat

CHAZ REDDEKOPP

the Red Deer Rebels, 6-4. . . . The Rebels (8-6-2), who have lost three straight, overcame a late two-goal deficit before losing. . . . The Royals (9-7-2) had lost their previous three games (0-1-2). . . . After F Jared Dmytriw’s sixth goal got the Royals started at 8:07 of the first period, the visitors took the lead when F Grayson Pawlenchuk scored his fourth goal at 14:35 and F Dawson Martin got his third, at 15:25. . . . Victoria followed that with the game’s next three goals, as F Matt Phillips got his ninth at 7:00 of the second, F Tyler Soy scored his 10th at 17:24, and F Dante Hannoun counted No. 8 at 10:06 of the third. . . . Red Deer D Josh Mahura, who also had an assist, got his guys into a tie with goals at 13:39 and 15:57. . . . F Ethan Price iced it for the Royals, scoring his second goal of the season into an empty net. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp earned three assists, while Peckford, who has five goals this season, and Soy each had one. . . . The Rebels got two assists from D Austin Strand. . . . G Griffen Outhouse blocked 40 shots for the Royals. The Rebels got 30 saves from Riley Lamb in 58:18. Lasse Petersen wasn’t tested in a 46-second stint. . . . Red Deer was 1-6 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,032.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Regina, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

The Book Shelf: Part 4 of 4

A brief look at some of the books I have read over the last while:

Raylan – Raylan, of course, is Raylan Givens, the U.S. Marshal who is the focus of the TV series Justified. Raylan, the book, was written by Elmore Leonard, and it is a treat to read any of his work. His dialogue and his characters always make his work worth reading, and this one is no different. Even if the first half deals with the stealing of kidneys. (William Morrow, hard cover, 263 pages, US$26.99 -- found at Chapters for $7.99)

Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap Stories – If you are a fan of Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap, the popular CBC radio program, you'll enjoy reading this book. And if you haven't heard even one Vinyl Tap show, you'll enjoy it, too. Lots of music-related stories here, and lots of anecdotes involving Guess Who, BTO, Bravebelt, Chad Allen and the Expressions, and on and on. The last few pages feature a whole bunch of interesting lists, too. (Penguin, soft cover, 224 pages, Cdn$20.00)

Red Mittens & Red Ink: The Vancouver Olympics – Vancouver-based journalist Bob Mackin takes an intriguing look at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games that were held in Vancouver and Whistler. Mackin tackles the years before the Games, the leadup to the Games, the two weeks of the Games and the post-Games period. If you have any interest at all in what went on behind the scenes, in the impact the recession had on these Games, the city of Vancouver and the province of B.C., you absolutely must read this book. If you want to know whose backs got scratched, you absolutely must read this book. If you are a sports fan and a taxpayer, and wonder how our dollars get spent, well, have a towel ready because you will cry your eyes out. . . . This book is available in many forms; I found a Kindle version at www.shamswords.com.

Selling The Dream: How Hockey Parents and Their Kids are Paying the Price for our National Obsession – The subtitle pretty much says it all. You may have heard stories about the lengths some parents go to in order to facilitate their child’s minor hockey career. Well, Ken Campbell, a veteran writer with The Hockey News, and Jim Parcels, a veteran minor hockey observer, have taken some of them and put them between the covers of one book. But there is more to this book than that. There a whole lot of numbers, statistics and facts, explaining just what the odds are of your child making it to the NHL. This should be required reading for anyone with anything whatsoever to do with minor hockey. If you are a parent about to enter the world of minor hockey, well, be prepared to have nightmares. And, yes, the authors agree that spring/summer hockey sucks. (Viking, hard cover, 360 pages, $32.00)

The Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutierrez – Written by famed New York newspaperman Jimmy Breslin, this is one of those books that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it. The teenaged Eduardo Gutierrez leaves Mexico, taking the overland route across the border, and goes to New York City looking for a job and money to send home. He ends up dead after drowning in concrete following the collapse of the apartment building on which he was working. In between life and death, Breslin, as only he can, takes apart the bureaucracy that allowed all of this to happen. This was published in 2002 but still has its bite today. (Crown, hard cover, 214 pages, Cdn$33.00, US$22.00)

The 34-Ton Bat: The Story of Baseball as Told Through Bobbleheads, Cracker Jacks, Jockstraps, Eye Black, and 375 Other Strange and Unforgettable Objects – Like your grandfather or favourite uncle who loves to tell you stories, author Steve Rushin presents for our reading enjoyment about a million wonderful baseball-related stories, as he lets us in on a whole bunch of the game’s secrets. It isn’t just that he tells us about the evolution of the catcher’s mitt; he tells us through anecdotes and is able to put faces on the players. This is one of those books that will have you saying “I didn’t know that! That’s interesting!” a few thousand times. (Kindle)

A Wanted Man – This is the latest (No. 17) in the Jack Reacher novels, all of them written by Lee Child. Following the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Reacher’s wanderings throughout the U.S., as the former military policeman encounters situations, conspiracies and crooks and thieves, is great escapism. (Dell, soft cover, 533 pages, Cdn$10.99, US$10.99)

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures – Author Malcolm Gladwell, as only he can do, explores various subjects in this work that was published in 2009. Gladwell writes some interesting stuff and this is no different. The highlight, perhaps, is a chapter that deals with Ron Popeil, the king of television marketing. Or maybe it's the one on Enron. Or maybe . . . Each of the 19 essays contained in this book have appeared in The New Yorker. (Little, Brown and Company, 432 pages, Kindle)

Whitey Bulger: America's Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought Him to Justice – There were a couple of Boston-based gangsters who believed they had immunity granted to them by the FBI, so they acted accordingly. Yes, they killed, they extorted, they did it all. You're thinking it's a work of fiction. Uhh, no. Authors Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy, a pair of Boston Globe reporters, detail the story of James (Whitey) Bulger, from his childhood in South Boston through his arrest in Santa Monica, Calif., at the age of 82. This is a great, if terrifying, read. (W.W. Norton & Co., 496 pages, Kindle)

The Whore of Akron: One Man's Search for the Soul of LeBron James – Scott Raab, who has written for Esquire since 1997, was born and raised in Cleveland. He is a Cleveland fan. Cleveland Browns. Cleveland Indians. Cleveland Cavaliers. No, he is not a fan of LeBron James. This is Raab's story of that relationship and all that went wrong. It is profane. It is hilarious. (Harper Perennial, soft cover, 302 pages, US$14.99, Cdn$16.99)

Winter of the World – Author Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy follows five familes through the 20th century. This is the second book, following Fall of Giants and preceding Edge of Eternity, which is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2014. Winter of the World’s focus is on the Second World War – the buildup, the fighting and the aftermath. If you are looking for a lengthy easy-to-read work of historical fiction, this is for you. It is escapism, for sure, and there also is a hint of American propaganda, but, hey, it’s enjoyable prose. (Kindle)

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) after a successful tryout. He had one goal and one assist in four games during the tryout. The club said in its press release that Loyns "impressed the management and head coach Petri Kujala with his skill and vision, despite the lack of an acclimatization period and game experience."
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On Dec. 30, 1986, the Swift Current Broncos boarded their bus and headed to Regina for a game with the Pats.
They never arrived as the bus crashed just outside the city and four players died.
As the Broncos’ website points out right here, “We will never forget.”
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A story at nflconcussionlitigation.com begins:
“The number of former players suing the NFL continues to grow by the week. In the month of December alone, more than 70 players joined the NFL Concussion Litigation Club.
“The number of former players suing the NFL has eclipsed 4,000. There are approximately 12,000 living, former players. More than 1/3 of all players to ever sign an NFL contract are now taking on the shield, seeking a piece of that $9.5 billion pie the former players helped create.”
That complete story is right here.
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Mark Morris of the Kansas City Star reports that Neil Smith, 46, a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, has joined in by filing a lawsuit against the NFL, “alleging it has not done enough to prevent the brain injuries from which he now suffers.”
According to Morris, Smith contends in his lawsuit that “because of repeated and misdiagnosed concussions he suffers from ‘permanent and debilitating injuries,’ including loss of memory, ‘cognitive impairment’ and early-onset dementia.”
The lawsuit contends that Smith once suffered three concussions, “all of which were improperly and treated,” in one game in 1988.
That story is right here.
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Vancouver journalist Bob Mackin, the author of Red Mittens and Red Ink: The Vancouver Olympics, is not missing the NHL. Why not? He provides 10 reasons right here.
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And now for your reading enjoyment here is Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with his 29th annual awarding of the Trite Trophy. If you are a sports fan who reads, listens and watches, you won’t want to miss this look at the mis-language of sports. It’s right here.
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The Regina Pats are back down to the maximum three 20-year-olds following the retirement Sunday of D Alex Theriau. . . . Theriau, from Duncan, B.C., missed the early part of the season after undergoing offseason hip surgery. He was with the Medicine Hat Tigers at the time, but was released as they got down to three 20s. He was picked up by the Pats and played in 16 games. . . . A news release from the Pats states that playing those games “aggravated Theriau’s hip and will force Alex to end his junior career in order to heal and pursue professional and CIS opportunities next season.” . . . Theriau had four points with the Pats and finishes his WHL career with 66 points, 11 of them goals, and 206 penalty minutes in 267 games. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes selected Theriau sixth overall in the 2007 bantam draft. . . . The Pats would have been forced into a move because the return of D Colton Jobke left them with four 20s, the other two being G Matt Hewitt and F Lane Scheidl.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Kelowna, F Myles Bell scored two first-period goals and the Rockets went on to a 5-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kelowna has won 14 straight games at home and now is just two points behind the idle Kamloops Blazers, who lead the B.C. Division. . . . Overall, the Rockets have won 14 of 16. . . . The Rockets had F Colton Sissons, their captain, back in the lineup after he missed a month — 10 games — with a concussion. He scored once. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke returned from a foot injury to stop 18 shots. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison played in his 300th regular-season game and got to do it in his hometown. . . .

In Regina, F Chandler Stephenson had two goals and four assists as the Pats whipped the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . Regina built up a 6-0 lead in the second period. . . . Stephenson has eight points in three games since returning from a skate cut. He missed 26 games with that injury. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk added a goal and four assists. . . . The Pats had only five players with at least a point. . . . Regina was 4-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Pats were without F Marc McCoy (knee), who had two goals in Saturday’s 5-1 victory in Moose Jaw. . . . The Blades had beaten the Pats four straight times this season, including 9-0 and 7-0 in the last two meetings. . . . It was something of a lost weekend for the Blades, who lost both ends of a Friday-Saturday home-and-home series with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Red Deer, F Michael Ferland scored at 13:08 of the third period to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 6-5 victory over the Rebels. . . . Ferland, 20, was playing in his second game with Brandon after being reassigned by the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . The Wheat Kings, with four 20-year-olds on their roster, sat F Nick Buonassisi. . . .

In Vancouver, F Trevor Cheek scored three times to help the Giants to an 8-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Vancouver had lost its last four games. . . . The Giants got three assists from each of F Dalton Sward and F Anthony Ast. . . . Cheek, who scored twice in the second half of the second period and again in the third, has 16 goals. . . . The Giants broke a 3-3 tie by scoring five of the game’s last six goals. . . . F Troy Bourke had two goals and an assist for the Cougars. . . . Vancouver F Taylor Vickerman was ejected at 3:00 of the third period with a major for kneeing.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brenden Walker, Saskatoon
D Luke Fenske, Regina
D Ryley Miller, Brandon
F Quintin Lisoway, Brandon

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Singh Sports News (@SinghSportsNews): “Did you know: Justin Morneau played 1 preseason game as a goaltender for the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL”



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